Tolerance and Diversity Institute

News

Dec/1601

Exhibition Continuous Diversity dedicated to the International Day for Tolerance

On November 15th, Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI) with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tbilisi held an exhibition Continuous Diversity, dedicated to the International Day for Tolerance, at the gallery of the National Archives of Georgia.

The event was organized in partnership with the National Archives of Georgia, Korneli Kekelidze National Centre of Manuscripts, National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Georgian Literature and Ilia State University.

Up to 70 exhibits, presented at the event, included the original and copied materials that reflect religious and ethnic diversity and prove the long-lived tradition of tolerance in Georgia, particularly, the Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik, Parkhali Manuscript (10th century); the fragment from the 12th century epic poem, Knight in the Panther’s Skin, rewritten in the 18th century; the excerpt from the Life of the Kings by Leonti Mroveli, rewritten in 17th century; Lailash Bible (10th century manuscript); Quran; Roman Catholic, Armenian and Syrian sacred scriptures; Vis O Ramin’s (11th century) prosaic translation, the manuscript rewritten in 18th century; The 17th century Georgian manuscript of Balavariani (Barlaam and Josaphat, the 11th century Buddhist tale from the Christian East); Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani’s journey to Europe signed by himself (18th century manuscript); King Erekle II’s decree that puts every religious group in the same position; Documents from private archives, publications and pieces of literature of Georgian writers, clergy and public figures of the 18th-20th centuries; diaries of Archimandrite Grigol Peradze; Sketches by Roman Catholic missionary Don Cristoforo De Castelli (17th century) that describes the life of Catholic missionaries in Georgia, Poems by Sayat-Nova, Armenian poet and musician; Essays by Ilia Chavchavadze, Titsian Tabidze, Akaki Bakradze, Memed Abashidze, that reflect tolerance and diversity of Georgia; Photos by Dimitri Ermakov of people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds; Documents from the National Archives about the life and work of various religious and ethnic communities, also, contemporary media outlets contributing to the development of tolerant environment in Georgia and other interesting materials.

Deputy Head of the Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tbilisi, director of TDI, general director of the National Archives of Georgia, representative of the National Centre of Manuscripts, rector of Ilia State University, representatives of religious and ethnic communities and organizations delivered speeches at the event.

The exhibition hosted representatives of state institutions, diplomatic corps, international and non-governmental organizations, religious and ethnic groups, journalists.